Topic: Three ring panel cut decanter, 36 point star cut base?

[Jeffingtons]

According to Wilkinson, his dating on the 24 point star is 1830 - 1840 

I have no intention of adding decanter collecting to my problems, four is enough for me. However, this comment got me thinking about my odd one out (the other three are mid C20 Scandinavian).

It's up in the loft right now to stop me putting scotch in it (and pouring it out again), so I can't provide weight or dimensions but I do have these photos from when I first bought it. I never thought to look at the star before. It has 9 radial cuts that run from centre to the edge of the base, with three smaller shorter cuts in between each. Is this classed as a 36 point star or a 9 point star? Does it help age the thing?

Would appreciate your thoughts.

[Paul S.]

could be wrong, but my opinion would be this isn't an example of a recognized traditional C18 - C19 radial cutting.      Appears to be a less than common type of cutting, and origin might not be U.K.          It isn't included in Wilkinson's drawings of the various star cuts on the bottoms of bottles, from earliest to latest, so unable to help with this one  -  let's hope others will give their opinions.

[Jeffingtons]

Thanks Paul. I found it in a Bristol charity shop and that's the limit of its provenance. Who knows what life it led before then.

Which Wilkinson book are you referring to by the way?

[Paul S.]

'The Hallmarks of Antique Glass'  -  R. Wilkinson.         Published 1968 by Richard Madley  ………………..    currently there are copies on Abe Books for c. £6 - £7.            Wilkinson obviously knew a lot about glass since he'd spent his entire working life in the trade, though to what extent opinion may have changed on some of his thoughts I've no idea  -  I'd imagine most of his writing remains valid, and for this sort of cost it has to be good value for money.

the business of dating by means of the type of base radial cutting dating is hampered like some other features of bottles insofar as there are so many later examples around which repeat these various stars that it's more a matter that you need to know which are the original bottles, and not the later copies.

[Jeffingtons]

Ah, I have it already. Another recent purchase from Abe books, and signed by the man in himself in January 1969! Hadn't found the page with the star cut drawings And thought it might have been a different book.

[keith]

They all seem to be signed, can't question his knowledge of cut glass but some of his other attributions are a bit wide of the mark, now where did I put my copy ? 

[Paul S.]

Keith - my copy is unsigned - does that make it worth vastly more?

interested in your comment about glass other than the cut stuff  -  assume you're talking about the coloured Webb and Richardson material ?  -  about which I probably know very little anyway.            I've really only used this book for information on C18 - C20 clear cut glass.

[keith]

Yep, he has some Kralik attributed to Stourbridge, not looked at the book in ages, unsigned, probably worth thousands ! 

[Paul S.]

 

[Laird]

If I may add another similar one?
This one has a regular 36 point base.
Stopper has a '7' scratched on it, but I can't find a corresponding '7' on the body, so probably the stopper isn't the original.